[Stationary preprinted with name and address of hotel:] Hôtel de Castiglione, Paris
Nov. 17. [1918]
Dear Pa
This afternoon I was in a
crowd which reminded me
very much of when we were in
Paris and the King of England
came to visit. I was out with
another girl trying to see a
parade which never even took
place because it could not
get through the streets. Funnily
worst jam of all under the
Red Cross windows we heard a
woman's voice emphatically
shouting "Reculez, marchez en
arrière, you are crushing children etc."
I looked up & there was Rose
Saltonstall, gesticulating in a
most dramatic manner -- one or
two other people tried also to
turn the crowd but it was
no use -- a poor wounded American
was carried by us in a faint &
I hope no one Else was hurt. The rest of the P.M. I spent trying
to get back to Rose but it was
no use because the streets are
thickest just there & the crowd
grows gayer all the time. They
say that When peace really comes
& the Allies come through the
Arc de Triomphe there certainly will
be something doing.
Our latest plans are to go
with our army into
Germany; I
don't exactly know what that
means nor what work there will
be, but it will certainly be most
that the best thing I can
do just now is to hold back
& not make any individual plans.
We certainly have had a most
interesting time lately & I should
like to keep on. We have seen
the country around St. Quentin, Laon,
have passed through Soissons &
Chateau Thierry, and of course
when we advance again we
will see a great deal more
country. I regret not staying
longer at St. Quentin; we were fixed very comfortably
there, & I did not
have half a chance
to explore the Hindenburg lines.
Besides which one of the doctors
discovered a row boat & hunting
lodge in a near by swamp -- he
took me duck shooting one
day & I should very much have
liked to go again.
It is hard to realize that
it is peace -- the reaction is
enormous & it is such a
nice feeling to know that the
you & that if you let up a
little & take some recreation
that all is not lost. I can
assure you that for many weeks
we never took a moment off
& were always working under the
strain of wounded men constantly
arriving to be looked after. Now
you feel that a pause once in
a while does no harm.
I just got a letter from
Leverett & he sounded rather
disgusted -- he surely has not had
is concerned, but a whole skin
is a pretty good thing to have
just the same. Of course as
usual he did not tell me where
he was but I would rather
like to connect with him just
the Same before we go into
Germany. You need not worry
about us there because we
are right with the army & will
be fed just as if we were in
France. I started buying a grammar
so as to learn the language but after looking at the first page I gave
it up as a bad job.
This morning Milly & I went
to
Notre Dame; there was a beautiful
& impressive service there. A great
many generals & important men
attended, & the cathedral was
wonderfully decorated with flags.
I am in
Paris only for Sunday
because Mrs. Daly had me drive the
car in to get some supplies she
is going to distribute out there.
from